Vimlendu Jha, who filed a petition with the National Green Tribunal against the Art of Living (AOL) Foundation for conducting the World Culture Festival on the Yamuna floodplains, received “death threats” Tuesday after the court hearing. The incident happened outside the NGT building while he was giving an interview to the media.

Later on his Facebook page, Vimlendu posted a picture of two people — including one of Om Ji Maharaj of Hindu Sena — who threatened him saying, “Tumhara bhi Kalburgi hoga (Your death will also be like Kannada scholar MM Kalburgi).”

Sources said Maharaj was trying to file a plea in court against the petitioners on the claim that their opposition to the event was “against India”.

Talking to The Indian Express, Jha said the supporters of the AOL festival even disrupted the hearing in the court room. “Justice Swatanter Kumar chided them for their act. One of the supporters even threatened me inside the court room and said ‘Tum bacche ho abhi, maar denge tumko.(You are a kid, will kill you.” He added that he was called an “anti-national” and an “agent of CIA” by supporters.

Jha said after the hearing ended at about 3.45 pm, a man interrupted him while he was giving an interview to a news channel. Jha said, “The man said ‘Aapko hum nahi marenge lekin aapke ghar mein ghus ke marwaenge.(I will not kill you, but will make sure that you are killed at your house).”

He also said that he does not willing to lodge any complaint as the people who threatened him will get “undue publicity”.